Heavy Handed Teacher of Seven Year Olds.

trisher
I agree with your post.

Sometimes teachers get it wrong.
When I was about 9 years old I opened a window in the classroom and knocked over a jar of tadpoles.
I was made to clear up the mess with izal toilet paper and was told I could not be editor of the class newspaper any more.
Even as a young child I knew what he did was wrong and although I never told my parents I did hear some other teachers talking about it and saying he was wrong which made me feel better.
Also I got my editor job back because my replacement didn't want to do it.

I'm amazed how many people would go in guns blazing and castigate this teacher without investigating further, or report him to the headteacher without a second thought.
Yes, as if the Headteacher hasn't got far greater worries to be dealing with at this moment in time.

Me too trisher absolutely agree with your post.

No excuses for that sort of behaviour towards a child. What a way to sap a child's confidence

Trisher I do agree with you .We don't know the why, so it is unfair to be so judgemental.
I have had occasions when I was told my child wouldn't do /say that and been called all sorts of things by a parent. We should remember that the child at school is not always the same child as the one at home.
I am not being unkind about the child by the way.

Ps on the other hand teachers need all the support they can get from parents so if it happened to my child I doubt that I would complain - just explain to child that teachers have different ways of doing things and it’s not personal .....

I was a teacher, Deputy Head/Head of Upper School in a large High School and had a reputation for being tough but fair. I can’t imagine why any teacher would do this to a piece of work. If covered in graffiti or swear words then possibly otherwise it’s way over the top. Or perhaps I’ve gone soft haha

I can remember tearing a page out of my own book as a child, because I wasn't happy with it and wanted to redo it. The teacher told me I shouldn't have torn the page out!

I'm amazed how many people would go in guns blazing and castigate this teacher without investigating further, or report him to the headteacher without a second thought. It may have been done agressively and to punish, or it may have been done with the idea of making sure the first page in a book looks good. You simply don't know. What we do know is that children who receive mixed messages never do well. So instead of creating tension and opposition it might just be advisable to open a conversation with him, because he is the child's teacher and if she thinks the teacher and the parent are at odds she may take advantage of the situation. Teachers really aren't the enemy as some on this thread seem to imagine they are. They actually want the best for the children they teach.
And to all those ex-teachers who would never tear out a page in an exercise book- I've done it. After a consultation with the child, who knew it wasn't his best work and who was quite glad to see the page gone.

Lucca

Ah well I tried.

I hear you, Lucca. Keep up the good work.

Ah well I tried.

Like annodomini I had a horrible teacher whose behaviour affected the whole of my secondary education. Some sixty years later I can remember the hurt and humiliation she caused me. It wasn’t until I left school and went to college that I regained confidence in my ability and fortunately went on to have a very successful career. And so the moral of this story, nip the teacher’s bullying behaviour in the bud. Ensure your granddaughter realises her minor mistake was nothing to worry herself about and whilst the teacher is usually right, on this occasion he/ she made a mistake.

This is the sort of thing that used to happen 50 years ago, not in the 21st century. Better to ask for a meeting with the teacher first and escalate to the head if not satisfied

When I was in the first year of junior school (age 6) I wrote the story of how the elephant got his trunk, was very proud of my work. The class teacher held my work up in front of the whole class going on about how untidy it was then proceeded to tear it into strips & made me re-write it ?
Fast forward to college & again my work got held up in front of the whole class, only this time as an example of how our work should be presented. I've always ripped up/started again if I make a mistake writing, even if it's just a list. I guess this is subconsciously due toy lovely junior school teacher!

I think standards are too lax in schools. When I was at school if I made a mistake like that I was asked to copy the whole page out again in my own time. I tended to not make same mistake again. As a former teacher I would not have ripped page out of book but would have written in book that student had not followed instructions correctly and reminded them to look at inside cover of book stating how to set work. I can't see why it is a big issue for your gd especially as several children were treated the same.. The child will not make same mistake again. Some teachers let mistakes slide and then parents wonder why their books are so untidy and the children lack discipline.

I would have a face to face with that teacher. Nip that UNACCEPTABLE behaviour right in the bud.

I’m a retired year 6 teacher too. This is unacceptable at any age. See the headteacher.

Can I please ask Blacksheep and other posters to consider (as mentioned by quite a few on here). Whether the page was “ripped” out or just possibly teacher suggested removing the page and starting again so that the book looked good for the child ?? Just a thought !

Dowsabella

Lucca

Off topic a tiny bit. The granddaughter of a friend was in the school playground with her friends practising their cartwheels etc. Aged 5-6. She was told that now she was in year 1 she shouldn’t show her knickers...........
Really shocking attitude.

Just a warning to those who know male primary school teachers.
Very briefly, and without going into too many details, a close friend is currently in prison. His crime? Being on duty while year 3 pupils were doing handstands against a wall and showing their knickers over 40 years ago. Apparently that was abuse by him. A dodgy area, but in his case I know there was no crime committed. Unfortunately, the jury thought otherwise, and over 40 years later, how can he prove his innocence, because in a case of child abuse, that's what you have to do!

I never mentioned the gender of the teacher! My point was what a silly old fashioned attitude.

Beastly teacher !!! I truly hope he/he is reported to the Head and the ancient recorded as very not OK. Poor little mite - do tell her that even grown ups have bad days.

Having worked in the education sector I'm appalled. First, your child is being taught that it's OK to deface books - which it most certainly is not, Second - it's totally unacceptable behaviour from a qualified teacher and should be reported. No need to be angry - just take the book to the Head and ask why this has happened. I'm rather hoping that it was a supply teacher or teaching assistant - not that excuses it, but it's unbelievable that a member of the teaching staff would do that.
Yes - SMT check books, but a missing space is not going to worry them. They are assessing the quality and appropriateness of the work set, and whether it's consonant with the child's ability

if there are further incidents and you don't get a satisfactory response from the head, then considering writing/talking to the Chair of governors. This is quite a serious step, so be sure you have your facts absolutely straight.

Did he 'rip' the page out or 'tear' the page out? There is a big difference. Had he warned the class that this would happen if presentation wasn't good enough? There are two sides to most accounts of what happens in the classroom. I'd speak to the teacher in the first instance.

For a minor ‘offence’ such as this, surely just a note in the margin would have sufficed. At least he wasn’t picking on your granddaughter as he did the same to others, but to me it is a teacher who cannot control his actions. He should be reprimanded for his action.

Lucca

Off topic a tiny bit. The granddaughter of a friend was in the school playground with her friends practising their cartwheels etc. Aged 5-6. She was told that now she was in year 1 she shouldn’t show her knickers...........
Really shocking attitude.

Just a warning to those who know male primary school teachers.
Very briefly, and without going into too many details, a close friend is currently in prison. His crime? Being on duty while year 3 pupils were doing handstands against a wall and showing their knickers over 40 years ago. Apparently that was abuse by him. A dodgy area, but in his case I know there was no crime committed. Unfortunately, the jury thought otherwise, and over 40 years later, how can he prove his innocence, because in a case of child abuse, that's what you have to do!